Growth Spurt
In 2021 DataArt doubled its head count, and the top managers realized the company needed a more systematic approach to learning. I was invited to lead this metamorphosis.
When I came to DataArt, I conducted a “learning needs” analysis. I started talking to everyone. I interviewed our top managers individually, and in groups, and I also talked with random colleagues. I tried to gather a diversity of voices, so I contacted colleagues from different locations around the world, and with varying qualifications, tenure in the company, gender, and so on.
I spent two or three months gathering people’s thoughts on the status of learning and development within the company, while at the same time defining our approach. I identified gaps and needs and drew up a learning strategy.
L&D is Much More Than Self-paced Courses
I've been working a lot on changing the thinking and mindsets of many colleagues, because typically people think the L&D team just creates self-paced courses and conducts instructor-led trainings. And people think that's basically all we do.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re much more than that. You’ll be shocked to hear this from the head of L&D, but we don’t focus on creating self-paced courses and don’t prioritize conducting online or offline training.
We have a totally different, hands-on approach. We aim for learning-by-doing and sharing job experience through mentoring.
70-20-10 Framework
We believe in research called the “70-20-10 framework.” This framework means that 10% of what we learn comes from formal training, from virtual classes, self-paced courses, and so on.
Another 20% of what we learn comes from watching other people and seeing how they do their work. That’s social learning.
Finally, 70% of what we learn comes when we go and do things ourselves on the job.
So, the question arises, why should we invest our whole team’s work, and lots of money, in just 10% of our colleagues’ learning? Really, we can use those resources in a much better way. Why do we need to spend the precious time of our experts on creating another Java foundations course if there are zillions of them already? So, we launched our Learn Cafe program, through which a colleague can get access to LinkedIn Learning, Udemy Business, O’Reilly, or other existing platforms, and get reimbursed for what they pay. Meanwhile, we focused on something different.
Mentoring
We’re all about informal learning. Mentoring is somewhere in-between those “20% by watching” and “70% by doing” categories that I’ve mentioned earlier. It is something you hear and see from others and do on the job at the same time. We're strong believers in mentoring.
Mentoring at DataArt can be for technical skills or management and leadership skills.
Quite a few of our colleagues are passionate about coaching. So, we launched a program where they act as coaches. Those can be DMs, PMs, and HR colleagues. They volunteer to coach their teammates. This is informal professional development, but again, we're all about that.
Learning by Doing
Our learning projects are a very hands-on experience based on the constructivist approach. This means that a learner is given a problem to solve (e.g., create a website) and all the necessary recourses (theory, guides, tech documentation, etc.). They must find a solution. It's hard. It's uncomfortable because people need to figure out how to do things themselves. Traditionally, we are passive recipients of knowledge, sitting down and listening to a teacher. But in our learning projects, you have to do much more than just sitting and listening—you have to explore and do. The flip side is that colleagues gain new skills much more effectively.
DataArt Culture Makes L&D Thrive
DataArt’s culture of flexibility, opportunities, freedom and trust, with a minimum level of bureaucracy, has allowed the L&D department to bloom so quickly. Our department has won twelve prestigious awards, including four Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards, four more Chief Learning Officer awards, and a BEST in Talent Development Award by ATD.
Almost three years might sound like a long time, but it's not. Many companies need 10 to 15 years to reach the same level that we have now in our level of mentoring, other learning offerings, results, and external recognition of the effectiveness of the Learning and Development ecosystem. We've had faster growth thanks to this environment.
IT people have a different way of reasoning. They're independent and form their own judgments. Our colleagues pick up new knowledge so quickly! And I love their critical and analytical mindset.
